We broke new musical ground with two innovative programs, CenterStage and OneBeat. CenterStage brings performing artists from Haiti, Indonesia and Pakistan to perform in 60 small and mid-sized cities, giving Main Street America a chance to experience international culture without stepping on a plane. Meanwhile, OneBeat brings 32 musicians from 21 countries -- including the United States -- to eight East Coast cities to collaborate and make new music together.
That tradition continues with this year's American Music Abroad, which will send twelve American musical groups to travel abroad to over 40… more »
To mobilize support for teachers worldwide and to ensure we can meet the educational needs of future generations, the State Department celebrates the 19th annual UNESCO World Teachers' Day. Whether through an alphabet lesson or a taste of astrophysics, teachers are at the start of every journey. Educators in and out of the classroom are responsible for so much good in the world, and it's only fitting that we honor their contributions.
This week, the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs hosted a two-day symposium for teachers interested in integrating global content into their lesson plans. Participants included 68 American… more »
For a quick and surefire way to rankle a Puerto Rican, ask: "But Puerto Ricans aren't Americans, are they?" Heart rates quicken. Lips tighten to a thin line. Eyebrows rise above the hairline, and fingers are waved every which way as a Puerto Rican clarifies that we are very much American.
This question and its implications have followed me throughout my life, ever since I moved from Puerto Rico to Georgia at the age of 10. Learning to adjust to a school in which I was one of two Hispanics in my 5th grade class proved challenging.
"Do you have a green card?" "Does Puerto Rico have McDonald's? Cars?"
Initially, I barely tolerated these exchanges. In my mind, the other person's ignorance demonstrated a disregard for Puerto Rican culture, and the ways it formed a legitimate part of American society. With a cold civility, I'd answer the questions… more »
This month, the State Department welcomed 25 chefs and foodies from all over the world to Washington, D.C., as part of an exciting new International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). From Brazil to Vietnam, every country in the world has a unique food culture, and the United States is no exception. Throughout this IVLP, participants are meeting with high profile chefs to discuss the influences of food and culture on American communities.
Their U.S. exchange coincides with the Office of the Chief of Protocol's launch of the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, which seeks to elevate the role of culinary engagement in America's formal and public diplomacy efforts. At the… more »
Five years ago tomorrow, the State Department launched DipNote -- the first-ever, U.S. Cabinet-level blog. On a day quite similar to this one, with the Public Affairs team fully immersed in the annual gathering of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, my predecessor Sean McCormack pledged that the blog would open a new window into the world of American diplomacy. Much has changed around the globe over the past five years, but one constant has been more and more people are getting their news and information through social media. So, we are committed to using our blog as a means to inform and engage the American people and those around the world.
This commitment is underscored by the fact that more than 1,000 men and women of the State Department and USAID have contributed their stories to the blog -- more than 4,700 total entries to date. We owe a debt of… more »
The days are long for the women of Yeumbeul, a village on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal. But after hours of selling fruit in the market, house chores and caretaking for their families, they flock eagerly to the local community center for evening literacy classes. Among them is twenty-year old Kewe Ndiayea, who dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but was forced to leave the school at age eleven when her family could no longer afford the $2 monthly tuition. Today, literacy classes are helping her make this dream a reality, and now Kewe is determined to become the next Diouma Dieng Diakhate, the Senegalese couturier cum political activist.
The Senegal courses are part of the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls' and Women's Education, a groundbreaking initiative launched in May 2011 that leverages public-private partnerships to address gender disparities in literacy… more »
At sundown on September 16, the Jewish community in the United States and all over the world celebrated the start of the new year. In honor of the occasion, President Barack Obama extended warmest wishes to all those celebrating and delivered a video message, in which he said:
"..Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are also opportunities for reflection. They represent a chance to take stock of our lives and look forward to the coming year with clear eyes and renewed purpose.
"In that spirit, the Jewish Tradition teaches us that one of the most important duties we have during this period is the act of reconciliation. We're called… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered remarks at a reception marking Eid ul-Fitr at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on September 13, 2012. The reception was also attended by the Libyan Ambassador to the United States Ali Suleiman Aujali.
Secretary Clinton said, "Good evening, and although I am many weeks overdue in saying it: Eid Mubarak. No matter how belated we are honoring Eid and the end of Ramadan, this is a cherished tradition here at the State Department. And I would like to thank all of you for being here, including the many members of the Diplomatic Corps.
"Tonight, our gathering is more somber than any of us would like. This comes during sad and difficult days for the State Department family. We lost four Americans. They were good… more »
Today, President Barack Obama delivered remarks at the Pentagon Memorial Service in Remembrance of 9/11. President Obama said, "Today we remember a day that began like so many others. There were rides to school and commutes to work, early flights and familiar routines, quick hugs and quiet moments. It was a day like this one -- a clear blue sky, but a sky that would soon be filled with clouds of smoke and prayers of a nation shaken to its core.
"Even now, all these years later, it is easy for those of us who lived through that day to close our eyes and to find… more »
On Thursday, I met with 17 inspiring women from Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Macedonia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Individually, they're up-and-comers in the world of sports -- as athletes, coaches, reporters, and managers. Together, they're the inaugural class of the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program. The group arrived at the State Department this morning for an orientation to kick off their month-long mentorships with leading American women in sports-related fields.
For the next four weeks, these emerging leaders will work alongside their American mentors from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut,… more »
Thank you, Jonathan, for this insightful post on World Food Day and the importance of strengthening our efforts as an international community to end world hunger…
more »
Spokesperson Nuland (Oct. 17): "Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Michael Posner, led a 22-member interagency delegation from the U.S. to discuss the full range of human rights issues affecting the country." more »
Oct. 16: Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, held a conversation with Ann Cody, Director of Policy and Global Outreach, BlazeSports; and Kirk Bauer, Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA. more »
![Assistant Secretary Ann Stock poses with music exchange program participants in Washington, D.C., October 3, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0910_stock_music_m.jpg)
![A teacher speaks to students at the school of La Ronce in Ville d'Avray, west of Paris, Oct. 5, 2012. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1005_teacher_classroom_m.jpg)
![Vanessa Colon, the author, jumps in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York, undated. [Photo Used by Permission]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1004_puerto_rico_us_m.jpg)
![Culinary Diplomacy International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participant Armand Arnal of France speaks White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and Pastry Chef William Yosses at the White House in Washington, D.C., September 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0930_culinary_diplomacy_m.jpg)
![Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike Hammer responds to questions from the State Department's official Spanish Twitter feed on January 24, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0924_hammer_m.jpg)
![Image used by UNESCO to promote women's literacy, September 2012. [UNESCO Image/ Used by Permission]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0919_unesco_always_m.jpg)
![President Barack Obama, flanked by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, left, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, marks the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, on September 11, 2012. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018234506im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0911_potus_m.jpg)
